Silver Dreams: Senshi Rising
by MoonDreamer91
Summary: Set before the Silver Millennium's downfall, this is the story of how the Princesses became the Senshi of their planets, Guardian's to the princess and more importantly, friends for life.
1. Prologue: What if, Mother?

** Disclaimer: All characters belong to Nako Takeuchi, I am just a fan who creates the crazy situations and stories of this fanfiction. Comment are welcome and greatly appreciated so that I may become a better writer.**

Queen Serenity sat alone in her throne room. The silence inside the room was defining and unnerving but she needed time to think. Her daughter would be turning thirteen at the end of the month and she had still not told Princess Serenity why this birthday would be more important than the any other birthday she has had or will have, despite Princess Serenity's constant questioning. It was on this birthday that Princess Serenity would find out about her senshi, her guardians.

It had been necessary when the Princess was born for the Queen to set up a special guard detail for her daughter in addition to the usual palace guards. Queen Serenity feared for her beloved daughter and although nothing had ever happened before, it did not stop her from wanting to do everything in her power to protect the Princess. She had hoped that she would never need to call upon that special guard but the powers of the evil Queen Metalia were growing stronger. Queen Serenity found it necessary to now call her daughter's guards to the Moon Kingdom.

The planetary princesses would be arriving later this month and the Queen had not yet prepared her young daughter for the news that she would be receiving. It would be a tiring few days, from preparing for Princess Serenity's ball to informing the young planetary princesses of their destiny. There was no telling how any of the princesses would react, including her daughter. To uproot and change their lives so dramatically... The Queen would praise them highly if they were able to accept their destiny with dignity and grace. It was more than Queen Serenity could ever ask of someone so young.

_There is no time like the present_, Queen Serenity thought as she walked through the white marble doors that closed off her throne room to the rest of the castle. The clicking of the Queen's steps echoed off the marble floors and walls. It made sneaking up on her daughter impossible. When the Queen walked into Princess Serenity's bedroom she found the young Princess sitting at her window seat staring out towards the blackened sky and towards Earth. She seemed so unhappy and it hurt the Queen to know that there was nothing she could do.

Without turning around to find out who had entered her rooms, for only The Queen and the maids were allowed on the same wings as the bedchambers, Princess Serenity began to speak, it seemed to herself rather than to her mother.

"Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you had not be born as royalty? I often have, especially on nights like this. When the sky is so clear and I can see the bright blues of the Earth's oceans and vivid greens of the land. I want to know what it is like to feel the beach sand and the ocean's breeze. Earth is so different, so alien from my own Lunarian home. It is different but it is a difference that I would like to experience for myself rather than be content with reading about it in a book or hearing about it from the many merchants that travel between Earth and the Moon."

The sadness was so lucid in the princesses voice that it nearly brought her mother to tears.

"Serenity, my darling daughter, what has you feeling this way? Is it that you are growing restless in the castle all day?"

"There is that. But there is also something else. I know it sounds strange but there is something on Earth that calls to me. I can feel it but yet I know not what it is." Confusion clouded the young girls eyes.

"Serenity, I can not tell you what it is you seek. I can only hope that you will find it one day. However I did come with some important news. There are four young princesses coming to court at the end of the month. They are about your age." The Queen was deliberately trying to avoid telling her daughter the purpose of their visit but she knew all to well that Serenity would ask. Sure as the Queen knew, the Princess asked.

"Serenity, dear, please promise to hear me out. Times have changed since I was your age. Evil forces are growing stronger yet. You have heard of the Outer Senshi, comprising of the Sailors Uranus, Neptune and Pluto?"

"Of course mother, they defend the solar system from external forces. Just recently the princesses of their respected planets completed their training and became the new senshi for their planet. Why do you ask?"

"The young princesses I have invited to court, and to attend the ball on behalf of your birthday, are the princesses of Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter. My intentions are to ask that they become the senshi of their planets."

"Oh, that would be a great hon-"

Before Princess Serenity could finish her sentence the Queen added five words that stopped the young girl in mid word.

"And Guardian Senshi to you"

"Mother, you cannot. I cannot feel responsible for the lives of other princesses. Please, you cannot ask that of them." Princess Serenity said with pleading eyes on the verge of tears. She knew her mother was only thinking of her daughter's safety but she could not let her mother place her well being above that of others.

"Serenity, my darling, I will not force them to make that decision. If they accept they will begin training. If not then they are free to go home and return to their normal lives. I will make no decision when it comes to placing your well being before others."

"Thank you mother for your consideration, both of my well being and that of the princesses decisions. I feel tired. If you will excuse me I think I will retire to bed. Good night mother" Princess Serenity said while walking towards her bed.

The Queen took the hint and left her daughter's room, closing the enormous white marble doors. Once the doors were closed and the Princess had locked them from the inside, the Queen turned to leave and retire to her own chambers. Just as she had stepped away from the doors she could here her daughter inside crying. The Queen understood why her daughter was shedding the tears. Four young girls, no older than the Princess herself, would be in charge of defending Serenity's life. A single tear escaped from the Queen's eye as she walked down the long white hallway to where her own chambers were located.


	2. Chapter One: A Venusian Spectacle

_The crest of the Silver Millennium...on an envelope addressed to Minako and I... hand delivered by a Lunarian knight?Surely this must be something of great importance to have such a prestigious delivery._ The young Venusian queen glided down the steps towards her daughters favorite place to sunbathe. Her long golden curls bouncing with each step she took. The sun outside shone with such a brilliance that everything in and around the Venusian palace looked to be made of solid gold!

Using the grace that comes natural to a Venusian, the queen tore open the outer envelope to find that there was not one letter inside, but rather two... one addressed to herself and the other to her daughter. Deciding it was best to see what this was all about, the queen quit her search for her daughter and opted instead to sit on the closest bench to read the letter addressed to her.

_Her Highness, _

_Queen Amora of Venus,_

_ I regret to inform you that I am calling you and your daughter to court, at a rather somber time for our Kingdom. Enclosed in the envelope addressed to your daughter is an invitation to a masquerade ball celebrating Princess Serenity's thirteenth birthday. While this should be a happy time full of celebrations...it is in-fact the opposite._

_ I feel the Dark Kingdom is growing stronger and the way that relations between our beloved Silver Millennium and the Golden Kingdom are going... I do not expect great help from them. Our only hope comes from within. As you have heard, I am sure, I have recently proposed to the princesses of Uranus and Neptune to become senshi of the Silver Millennium, that is to guard our Kingdom from invading forces._

_ It is this that brings me to the true reason for this invitation to court. I plan on extending this offer to your young daughter in hopes that she will be come a senshi of the inner planets, and guard to her future queen, and my daughter, Princess Serenity. Should she accept this will not affect her routine life drastically. She will of course, reside here on the moon,but she will be allowed frequent periods where she may visit you, and you are of course welcome here anytime to visit her. She will be trained as a warrior but her main duty is to be Serenity's guardian and act as a lady-in-waiting to Her Royal Majesty. I will not force her into this agreement and the decision is entirely hers to make._

_ I would kindly ask you not to mention this to your daughter, I believe that this should come from me, and me alone. I am so sorry for this. If it was not for a desperate fear I would not call upon this...We have had a peaceful reign since my great-grandmother, and it was all thanks to her mother's inner court – The Guardian Senshi. This is the same offer that was made all those centuries ago. I am sorry but I do hope you understand the position that I am in. I will discuss this further upon your arrival at court later this month._

_Her Royal Highness, _

_Queen Serenity of the Silver Millennium_

_Minako, a senshi?_ Tears began to run down Amora's face, unchecked. She feared for the worst but hoped for the best. She would not let this spoil Minako's fun. Her daughter had never been to the Lunarian court and this would sure to be a treat. On top of that she was invited to Her Royal Majesty's ball. For Minako that would be the cherry on top. Like a true Venusian princess, Minako loved to attend balls. The glamor of it all was like a fine wine, one taste just wasn't enough. Not that that was all Minako cared about. Her true personality was that of a hopeless romantic. If she wasn't inside the castle one could certainly find the princess at Aphrodite's Villa, sunbathing and reading the latest romance novel.

Down the path lined with pale yellow painted flower pots filled to the brim with orange cosmos and desert marigolds flowers, occasionally broken up with a gold plated bench. In the center of the courtyard sat a fountain, the top tier taller than any man, with water of the most vivid yellow. A lavish scene to behold but the queen did not stop to admire the fountain by which she often sat. Aphrodite's Villa lied just past the fountain. It only took Queen Amora a moment to reach her daughter's hideaway.

"Minako, honey, an invitation has arrived for you." The queen's voice was sweet sounding and seemed to echo throughout the villa. It was a beautiful sound, the queen's voice, but it did not fit her.

Without looking up from her novel Minako replied, in a rather bored tone drenched in what appeared to be disdain, "If it is an invitation to Gilda's ball, I will send her a later this week with my regards and a few sentences stating that unfortunately I, very fortunately, cannot attend. I know that she is my cousin but she is just so... I don't even know how to describe her. Flashy is an understatement. She thinks that just because she is one-half Venusian royalty that she is the goddess' gift to Venus. I know that what I am saying sounds stuck-up and rude but it is the truth, MaMa. She is a different person around you and PaPa. It infuriates me so much. How I could be related to one so fake, I will never understand. Her name suites her well, 'covered in gold.' How true!"

"You are right, Minako. That was very rude of you to say that about your cousin. How ever I do know what you are talking about. Her mother is the same way. But it is not from Gilda."

"Oh, then it is from a boy. Hm, should I play it coy and act uninterested? Maybe flirtatious and accept but reply that I don't kn – OH!" Minako's ramblings were broken off suddenly as her mother handed her the envelope with the Royal Seal – a golden crescent moon face up. "This is from the Silver Millennium. Mother, what is this about?"

Without waiting for her mothers response, Minako tore open the envelope like a child opening a long awaited present. Her eyes scanned the card and began to read its contents out loud. Her voice becoming high pitched, almost childlike as she read:

_**By Royal Decree,**_

_**Your attendance is requested by **_

_**Her Royal Highness**_

_**Queen Serenity of the Silver Millennium**_

_**to honor the thirteenth birthday of her daughter**_

_**Her Royal Majesty **_

_**Princess Serenity**_

_**on the Thirtieth day of June**_

_**Her Royal Majesty, the Princess Serenity, looks forward to your attendance**_

"Mother! I can't believe it! I am invited to Her Royal Majesty's ball? But why? I have never seen the princess before? This is such an honor! Oh, I need a new ball gown. I wonder what type of ball its! I can't wait. I will start designing my dress now! This is so much fun! When do we leave? I need plenty of time to..." Before Minako could say another way her mother clamped her hand over her daughter's mouth. It wasn't to be mean, just a playful gesture. Minako could often become carried away when she was excited.

"Minako, darling, I am going to remove my hand, and when I do I want you to be quiet and listen to me OK?" Minako nodded, and Queen Amora moved her hand like she said she would. "We are going to leave at the end of next week and it is a masquerade ball." The queen said in rather hushed tones to keep her daughter from getting excited again. "As to why you were invited, I am not sure. Maybe Queen Serenity feels that the princess needs to expand her social circle to include people of her age rather than just her tutors."

Before another word was said Minako stood up, romance novel in hand with the invitation tucked safely inside, and kissed her mother on the cheek. Without another moment to spare she took off, down the path that Queen Amora followed not to long ago, skirts jacked up past her knee and long hair the color of molten gold flowing in the wind as she raced toward the palace. The Queen closed her eyes and held her forehead in her hand. _What a way for a princess to behave and just when I though she was calmed, _she thought as she sighed and began to walk back to the palace.

Two weeks to the date exactly, Queen Amora and Princess Minako prepared to leave for the Lunarian Palace. It seemed a bit odd to Minako, traveling from her home to another planet although technically the Moon isn't a planet. She calmly walked towards the portal room. It was in the north wing of the palace, where all of the meetings were held. The foreign dignitaries also stayed on this wing when they were here, if they chose to do so. Despite the ease of teleportation, this as all new for Minako.

The room's decor was unlike the rest of the castle. This room was so cold, and bright white; very unlike the warm, sunny gold tones of the home Minako loved so much. Although she would not admit it, Minako was afraid.

As if reading her daughter's thoughts, Queen Amora assured her daughter that everything would be alright and stepped inside the teleportation chamber.

"Where to, my queen?" The young guard asked as he walked over to a panel that held a virtual map.

"The Lunarian Kingdom." Queen Amora replied, giving her daughter a reassuring smile.

The guard input the coordinates to the Lunarian Kingdom and the queen disappeared. Once her mother had vanished, Minako swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and picked up her rather large suitcase. She started to walk towards the chamber but before she could reach it the guard spoke up.

"There is no need to carry that, your majesty. Your mother told me earlier today that a servant would be transporting your belongings shortly after your departure."

"Oh, thank you. I am also going to the Lunarian Kingdom." Minako replied with a very shaky voice.

"Yes, your majesty. And everything will be ok, teleportation is safe."

Minako stepped inside the chamber, which she deduced to be made out of quartz.

"Are you ready princess?" The young man asked, a reassuring smile on his mouth.

Minako nodded and closed her eyes. She heard the guard typing in the coordinates. Minako took a deep breath and everything was cold. She felt numb. Curious as she was she opened her eyes but what she found shocked her. She was inside the Lunarian Kingdom! Even though she had never been here before she knew she was there because her mother was on the other-side of the quartz panel.


	3. Chapter Two: A Martian Temper

Doors carved of red jasper... such a menacing look about them gave way slowly with just the lightest push. The Martian Guardsman swallowed hard in fear, for he knew what punishment awaited on the other side if he angered the Martian Princess, after all her patron god was the God of War, and both were known for the tremendous anger.

The guard cleared his throat, cinched his eyes shut and waited patently. When there was no acknowledgment of his presences he felt slightly relieved. Only slightly, because now he would have to make his presence known. He cleared his throat once more and opened his mouth to speak.

"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty and Your Highness, but there is some one here to see you." His voice trembled with fear and anticipation. _Ok, fearing for my life might be a little extreme... The Princess may have a temper on her but she has never had a guard killed because of it, _the guard thought to himself just as the Princess was turning around. The Queen clapped her hands and the darkness that the room had been shrouded in only seconds ago receded.

While the princesses eyes glowed with hatred, her face was... dare he say, calm? The guardsman began to relax, if only for a minute. There did not seem to be any reason to fear. The Queen began to stand up but before she could say anything to the attendant, Princess Rei began to speak, never getting up from her cushion on the floor in front of the fire pit in the center of the room.

"Are you aware that you are interrupting my lesson?" Her voice was flat, laced with a chill that not even death could bring. Pure fear began to ring through out the young mans bones. He wanted to run – run for his life, it seemed – but duty and honor anchored him to where he was. _Apparently fearing for my life is the appropriate thing to do, _he thought, despite every attempt to tell himself that he was only imagining things.

"That is quite alright, Rei. We were just finishing up here. Who is at the door and why have you brought them to me and not my husband?" The Queen asked curiosity rising in her voice, making her sound like a ghost of the person she once was... but that was before she was married.

"Your Majesty, it is a Lunarian Knight and he asked for an audience with you. Shall I bring him in?"

"Yes please." The Queen replied, while turning to Rei and giving her a pleading look. The Princess knew what that look was for. Rei could hear her mother's voice echoing inside her head say _Please Rei, keep your temper._ Rei silently closed her eyes, and lowered her head in meditation, trying to keep her anger down.

After only a brief second the sentential returned with a man of what looked to be about thirty-six. There was nothing spectacularly attractive about this man although his presence in her shrine captivated the Queen. He opened his mouth to speak and the voice that came out sounded like rich velvet.

"Please forgive me for the interruption, I am terribly sorry." The Knight began.

"As well as you should be! You intruded upon **my **lesson! I am the Martian Princess, you can not just waltz in here and think you own everything. You are a knight, not royalty."Rei had no idea what set her off, maybe it was because earlier that day her and her father had quarreled and that put her in a foul mood that not even meditation could get rid of. She snapped. She knew she was crazy, even if she couldn't wrap her mind around the words that were flowing out of her mouth like a babbling brook. The look of shock and horror on her mother's face told her that she had lost her mind.

The Knight was aghast and the shock showed all over his face. Nevertheless he had a job to do and he was not going to let some girl with anger management issues stop him. "I have a letter from Her Royal Majesty, Queen Serenity for you, Queen Endellion. As well as your daughter." The Knight handed over the envelope and turned to leave. He was not going to wait around to be insulted by a girl again.

Queen Endellion was so furious that she could have slapped Rei. **How dare she behave that way in front of a Lunarian Knight!** Quietly, keeping her temper down, Endellion turned to Rei and asked her to leave the shrine. She would talk to her daughter about her behavior later, but this letter came first.

Never before had Rei not been able to control her emotions. Never. With a red face, the Princess quietly rose to her feet and ran from the shrine room to her bedchamber. Tears of embarrassment streaming down her face.

Three hours passed, and for Rei it felt like eternity. In those three hours she had refused to come out of her room and go down for dinner. Her maid brought her up a try but she refused to eat. For three whole hours she sat and meditated, trying her best to banish the negativity of earlier. She knew she had disappointed her mother. She knew that she made herself look like a spoiled brat. She also knew there was nothing that she could do to change the past, but she could change her future by never doing that again.

Just when she thought she was getting somewhere the door to her bedroom opened. This time Rei was able to keep her anger in check. _Just. Meditate. Don't. Worry. Deep breaths._ Rei could feel herself getting lighter.

"Are you over your temper so that we may talk like civilized Martians now?" Her mothers usually warm voice was now icy.

"I apologize for my display earlier mother. I do no know what set me off."

"And I do not want to hear it. You are an excellent miko, Rei, but if you can not control your temper, a high priestess you will never become. Now, Queen Serenity has invited you to her daughter's masquerade ball to celebrate her birthday."

Anger was rising again. Rei tried her best to contain it but with no luck. "So in other words, I have been **summoned** to the Moon Kingdom. This is ridiculous, just because I am a _**Martian Princess**_ and not a _**Lunarian Princess **_they think they can order me around. I am royalty too!"

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" The Queen shouted, a rarity for her. Shock forced Rei to sit in the chair closest to her. "I have had it with your attitude. Yes, you are a Princess of Mars. No, this is not a summons. You have been invited and it is a great honor. You think that the sun rises and sets on this planet? I have news for you, there are eight other planets and a hundred and seventy-two moons in this solar system. That is not counting asteroids either. Mars is **not** the most important thing and the sooner you realize this the better." Queen Endellion turned around and walked towards the door. Just as she placed her hand on the knob she looked over her shoulder at her daughter's shocked face, staring at her.

"We leave in a week. I suggest you pack." And with that Endellion closed the door.

As the door closed Rei screamed in anger. Anger at herself for losing her temper again. No matter how hard she tried she could never control that one emotion. She understood why – she was her father's daughter. She hated to admit it. Her father had no thoughts for her and certainly no affection. He wanted a son, someone to pass the throne too. Rei was not that boy. But there was nothing that could change that. She was a daughter and the best hope she had for making her father proud was marrying well and that meant not complaining about who her father chose for her, probably one of his favorite general's sons. Her father had often talked about betrothing her to Ryuu, the son of Ryukyu.

Meditation. That is how Rei spent her days before the journey from her home to the Lunarian Palace was spent. The last thing she wanted was to lose her temper in front of Queen Serenity. At the end of the week Rei combed her hair while she looked around her bedroom. She was going to miss it, even if her departure was just for a little while. It held such a warm and inviting aurora to her. So many times she cried in here over her failures; or at least what her father considered failures.

Queen Endellion knocked on her daughter's partially opened door before stepping inside. She looked at how beautiful and happy her Rei was and it saddened her. Rei knew nothing of what was going to happen at the Lunarian Kingdom and it made her feel guilty, like she was lying to the one thing that brought her happiness in this universe. If Rei accepted Queen Serenity's offer, Endellion would be all alone with King Shinji, her husband – the one person in this world she could not stand to be in the same room with. _He acts like Rei being born a female is a curse and is __**my**__ fault. Oh, how I hate that man,_ Endellion thought to herself.

"You know mother, I just thought of something." Rei said suddenly, eyes tearing up. But these were not tears of sadness or anger. These were tears of joy.

"What is that, my beautiful Rei." Endellion replied while wiping a tear from her young daughter's cheek. It saddened her heart to see her precious child cry.

"Queen Serenity's invitation is a blessing. For both of us. Because it came from the royal family, father cannot stop us. I know he wants to, I see it in his face each time it is brought up. Its not anger that he was not invited, nor is it sadness that we are going to be gone. Its hatred because he cannot stop us." Rei said, while smiling at her mother.

This in turn made Endellion smile because she too, had thought about that. _What a spiteful man Shinji is towards women. _Endellion and Rei made their way towards the deportation room, making sure to avoid the halls where they may run into the King.

Endellion stepped into the quarts cylinder first, nodded towards the guards and in a seconds time was gone. Rei followed her mothers lead. Immediately came the familiar coolness of teleportation and then the bright white flash. Rei liked teleporting, it made her feel weightless and free. It was the closest to flying that she would ever get and it made her happy. Within seconds Rei was in another quart cylinder, much like the one she had just stepped into. She was at the Lunarian Palace and it felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

For once, she did not feel anger. For once, she felt free.


	4. Chapter Three: A Jovian Treat

"Chicken, carrots, garlic, leeks, onions, mushrooms, and eggplant prepared in a teriyaki sauce. A hot pot of green tea, a bowl of miso soup, and for desert pears. All of mother's favorites " Makoto stated as she piled each dish onto a rather large tray. Hidden in the pocket of her apron was a small white envelope with silver ornate writing. It's not that she was trying to hide it from her mother, after all it was inside another envelope addressed to her mother as well as herself. **To the Jovian Queen, Aila, and her daughter, Makoto**, the larger envelope stated. On the back, pressed in silver wax was the seal of the Silver Millennium, as if Makoto needed that to tell her who the envelope was from. A messenger delivered the letter to her early this morning after looking for, and unsuccessfully finding, the Queen. Makoto opened the envelope at once and extracted a smaller envelope, almost identical to the larger with the exception that this one was strictly addressed to her. Upon opening that one, she discovered it was an invitation to the Lunarian Princess' birthday ball.

It was then that Makoto decided that a little extra sucking up wouldn't hurt, seeing as how she really wanted to attend a Lunarian Ball. Makoto had raced to the market to buy the freshest ingredients for her mother's favorite meal. Today Makoto planned to cook her mother a special lunch.

Within minutes, Makoto was entering her mother's personal dojo.

"Mother? I have brought you lunch." She said as she placed the try down on a small table.

"Ah! Makoto, darling, come spar with me!" Aila said with much enthusiasm, after realizing it had been over a month since she and her daughter spared together.

" Of course." Makoto happily agreed. "But shouldn't you eat lunch first, before it gets cold?" Makoto slyly removed the lid of the chicken and vegetables. She knew that in a matter of seconds the smell would travel across the room and reach her mothers nose.

"Is that teriyaki chicken?" Aila's mint green eyes lit up as she recognized the smell.

"Yes," Makoto casually replied, "along with mushrooms, onions, eggplant, leeks, and carrots." A coy smile played across the princesses face as her mother walked over to the table and looked at all the dishes that had been prepared for her.

"These are all my favorites. Makoto, what are you sucking up for?" The queen asked, suspicious of her daughters motives.

"Nothing mother. I promise. I am going to go change for our spar while you enjoy lunch." Makoto quietly slipped out of her mothers dojo, knowing that her mother would be content with her lunch for at least an hour.

When an hour and fifteen minutes had elapsed Makoto, dressed her her traditional Jovian training outfit of a cropped fern-green off the shoulder top and knee-length skirt of the same color, both trimmed in moss-green. Upon reaching the dojo, Makoto took of the knee-high boots that were the same fern-green as her outfit.

"Sensei," Makoto said in a calm voice as she entered the room and walked towards her mother, who was standing in the center of the room, "I am ready to begin," she finished her sentence as she bowed to her mother.

Instead of replying, Aila threw a punch to the right of her daughters face as she was standing up, signaling the beginning of the spar.

Makoto knew that if she took it easy on her mother she would never be allowed to attend the ball but she also knew that one major hit could hurt her mother, since she was still recovering from an injury in the last battle. _I will have to try hard to make it seem like I'm not taking it easy on her, _Makoto thought as her mothers right foot connected with her upper left shoulder, pushing Makoto forward and landing her on her knees.

"Makoto, you are not paying attention. You could have easily dodged that kick." Aila stated, confusion in her voice. "What is it that you are thinking that is taking your concentration away from this fight?"

"I am sorry mother, and I have to admit that I was thinking about something else. I should be paying more attention so that you can't–" Makoto broke off mid-sentence as her mother threw a punch towards her lower abdomen. Makoto sailed to the left to miss her mothers fist and sent her fist towards her mothers left side.

"Tell me what it is that you were thinking about then." Aila commanded, as she spun around to miss Makoto's jab only to land her elbow between her daughters shoulder blades – never enough to actually hurt her though.

"A letter came for you this morning. It was from the Silver Millennium. I also received a letter." Makoto jumped up to miss her mothers low kick and in return sent her own foot flying, trying to kick her mother's feet out from under her.

"Oh, what did your letter say?" Aila asked, curious but not letting the conversation take her focus away. It was all very interesting, for a letter from the Silver Millennium arrive. It was rare that anyone outside of Lunarians received any formal word from Her Royal Majesty.

However, despite Aila's determination to stay focused, in a sheer second of letting her mind wonder, Makoto had her on her back. One swift kick to the back of the knees and Aila was on the ground staring up at the dark ceiling.

"Mother, I am so sorry! Are you OK? Do I need to call for a healer?" Makoto asked, her voice drenching with concern for her mother's well being.

"I am fine Makoto, however, if this was a real battle I would expect you not to apologize to your opponent. Now, tell me about this letter you received." Aila began the session of questions and answers, trying to get Makoto to open up about why she was trying to suck up.

"It is an invitation... to the Royal Princess' birthday ball." Makoto said nonchalantly, or rather tried to sound nonchalant. It didn't work that well for her.

"Hmm... Odd." Aila said to herself, forgetting that Makoto was in the room with her.

"I beg your pardon, Mother, but what is odd?" Makoto curiously asked, looking at her mother who was now blushing at the realization that she had spoken out loud.

"I was just referring to how strange it is for you to have received an invitation to Her Royal Majesty's ball when the two of you have never met before." Aila replied, playing on the Jovian ideas of independence from outside politics.

Despite being under rule of the Silver Millennium, each planet had its own political system and ruling families. The Lunarian's Royal Family was considered to be the "true" ruling family, just in case the Silver Millennium ever needed protection, because the Lunarian Queen was the only one strong enough to wield the Imperium Silver Crystal. However, Aila knew better than tho think of her planet as better than the moon.

Knowing her mother the way she did, Makoto knew that the conversation was over. She stood up and bowed to her mother, handing her the letter addressed to the queen after she did so. "Sensei, thank you for the lesson today."

Once the heavy, wooden doors were shut to the dojo, Aila broke the silver seal on the envelope. Quietly her eyes scanned the letter. Aila's eyes fell on two words that nearly made her heart swell in pride... _Inner Senshi! _Queen Serenity wanted her Makoto to be one of the Princess' Guards? That can't be right. _Makoto is just a child her self, barely fourteen, how can she protect anyone?_ However Aila refused to worry, to shed a single tear. Makoto could be a guardian to the Princess. She was born of a warriors blood, and this was the highest honor Aila could hope for her daughter. Without consulting Makoto about what she wanted, Aila decided her daughter's fate. In two two weeks they would leave for the Moon Kingdom.

This was not the first time that Makoto had teleported. She knew what to expect. The room would be warm, and dim. The chamber would be bright and cold. Her breath would be taken once the teleportation began. Her heartbeat would race. She would feel light as a feather, a feeling that she hated.

This trip was all that and more. Makoto didn't care if she felt sick as the process began, she welcomed the unusual feeling and actually smiled at the opportunity to leave. Not since the days of the Old Era were Outsiders invited to a Lunarian Ball. This was a rare treat and Makoto was going to enjoy every bit of it.


End file.
